Gas-engine



(No Mbdel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H. WIEDLING.

GAS ENGINE.

No. 269,146. Patented Dec. 12 188-2.

MPETERMUGIIHPOIIQWMWMILC- UNITED STATES PATENT rrrce.

GAS-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 269,146, dated December 12, 1882.

Application filed April 13, 1882. (No model.)

To allnehom it may concern Be it known that I, HERMANN WIEDLING, of Baltimore city, in the State of Maryland, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Gas-Engines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descrip tion of the same.

My invention relates to that class of gasengines in which the power is generated by the expansion of an exploded mixture of gas or vapor and atmospheric air.

The objects of my invention are, first, to produce a prolongedor continued action of the exploded gases upon the piston of the upper cylinder, and to avoid the direct shock of the explosion of the gases in immediate contact with said piston, whereby I may cause the exploded gases to act upon the piston in the same manner in which steam acts.

My second object is to prox'ide certain and safe means for igniting the gases.

Third1y,I aim to diminish the consumption of gas, and generally to simplify the machine -and render it noiseless in its action and less gitudinal section of the igniting-valve and its immediate connections. 1

In these drawings, the pipe for the admis sion of the gas is shown at 1. Itleads into an automatic pressure-regulator, 2, shown partly in section in Fig. 2. From this pressure-regw lator a pipe, 3, leads to the mixing-valve 4, which valve is regulated by a handle, 5. This valve is the same as that described by me in an applicationfiled in the United States Patent Office August 1, 1881. The valve-chainber 6 is connected through the port 7, pipe 8, and port 9 with the front part of the pump cylinder 10, which is closed at both ends. The suction-valve lLis seated in the valvechamher 12, which is connected by the port 13 with the rear part of the compression-cylinder 10.

I The disk-valve 14 opens into the explosionchamber 15. This explosion-chamber is made separate from the power or working cylinder port 16 and valve 17. This working-cylinder is closed at both ends, and is surrounded by an ordinary water-jacket, 19.

A space, 20, is formed in the end of the working-cylinder not occupied by the piston, and is connected by the port 21 with the valvechamber 22, containing exl1aust-valve23 and exhaust-pipe 24. The exhaust-valve 23 is Worked by the stem 25, spring 26, lever 27, and an eccentric-rod, 28, from the shaft of the engine, which is not shown. The valve 17, hereinafter fully described, that separates the explosion-chamber 15 from the working-oylinder 18, is at the same time the igniting-valve, and gets its oscillating motion from the lever 29 with pin 30 and eccentric-rod 31.. The eccentric-rod 31 has a hook, 32, which can be taken off of the pin 30 by the handle 33, so that the igniting-valve can be worked by hand. The igniting-valve is seated in the -casing34, Fig. 5, and has a chamber, 35, with the port 36, whichopens to the gas-jet 37, which is 18, and communicates therewith through the I burning in the chimney 38. Alice port, 39, i

supplies the small pipe 40 with mixed gas and air under pressure from any convenient source. The pipe 40 is closed some distance from the end by the plate 41, perforated with fine holes, and behind which a bundle ot wire, 42, is placed in the tube, there serving to conduct the mixed gas and air and to prevent the flame from going backward to the supply. The position ofthe valve in Fig. 5 shows the port 43 having a fine communication with the air outside the valve-groove 44, which gives slightly prolonged communication with the air. 1

Fig. 4 shows, with the suctionvalve 11, the arrangement for regulating and stopping the engine. A small shaft, 45, is worked by the governor and connected with the lever 46, which, by a spring, 47, has an elastic connec tion with the pin, 48. Thispin, in certain position of the valve, catches the teeth 49 of the valvestem 50, and in other positions of the valve rests on the plain surface of the stem. The lever 51, which is fitted loosely on the shaft 45, can be set by means of the key 46 in two positions. The drawings shows the lever in a position in which the shaft 45 can be freely IOO moved by the governor. If the lever 51 is placed in the other position, it is pressed against the pin 52 of the small lever 53, which is keyed on the shaft 45. In this position the pin 48 is alwaysin contact with the valve-stem 50, so that when the valve is opened it cannot shut again. The lever 51 may be operated by hand. By thesevalve-regulatingdeviceseither the governor may .operate to press the pin 48 against the notched stem, so as to hold the valve open, or the same effect maybe produced by the hand-lever.

The cylinder 18 has at its front end a. valvechamber, 54, which communicates by the port 55 with the inside ofsaid cylinder. The valvechamber 54 contains a common suction-valve, 56, and exhaust-valve 57, with exhanstpipe 58. A compression-pump, 59, is connected with the explosion-chamber 15, so that the gas can be forced into it without working the engine. The piston 60 of the compression-cylinder 10 is moved by the cross-head of the working-cylinder 18 or by an extra crank. 1n the drawings, both pistons are at the end of their stroke, and the mixed gas and air which is in the front part of the compression-cylinder 10 is driven out, as the piston moves forward, through port 9, pipe 8, port 7, into the valve, chamber 6, and thence through disk-valve 11, port 13, into the other end of the compressioncylinder 10. As the piston 60 moves backthe suction of the front port ofthe cylinder 10 takes in through the mixing-valve4, pipe 8, and

port 9 mixed gas and air. At the same time the mixture at the other end is compressed and forced through port 13, disk-valve 14, into the explosion-chamber. The piston of the working-cylinder 18 arrives at end of stroke at the same time, or nearly so, as the piston of the compression-cylinder 10. Then the valve 14 is shut automatically by the spring 61, and the igniting-valve 17 fires the charge in the explosion-chamber 15, and then opens the port 16, so that the pressure of the exploded mixture flowsinto the working-cylinder 18 as steam from a boiler'into a steam-engine, and drives the piston forward. By this successive opening of the ports of the firing-valve, first to ignite the charge ot'rmixed gases and then to make communication between the explosionchamber and the interior of the cylinder, the shock iswholly restrained in the explosionchamber, and the opening of the valve graduates the admission of exploded gases to the cylinder without shock.

Heretofore there has been an explosionchamber, but with an open valve between said chamber and the cylinder, when the charge was fired, so that the greater part of the shock was still communicated to the piston. Butby arranging the valve to open after the explosion, the gases under pressure begin to escape into the cylinder as soon as the movement of the valve begins to open the port, thus finely graduating the admission of the said gases to the piston. The piston of the compressioncylinder 10 moves forward also, and the gasmixture again passes'from the front part of the cylinder to the rear part. Then, at end of stroke, the exhaust-valve 23 is opened, and the burned gases of theworking-cylinder18 are forced out by the back-stroke, and the gas-mixture is again compressed in the back part of the compression-cylinder 10 and forced into the explosion-chamber, and the front part of the compressing-cylinder sucks again the gasmixture, as before. This operation is continued until by increase beyond normal speed of the engine the governor presses, through the shaft 45, the lever 46, and spring 47,upon the pin 48, against the valve-stem 50. If, now, the valve 11, by the suction of the pump 10, is opened, it cannot shut'again, as the pin 48 catches one of the teeth 49 of the valve-stem '50. In this way a connection is made through port 13, valve-chamber 6, port 7, pipe 8, and port 9 between the front and rear parts of the pump-cylinder 10, so that the gas mixture passes from one side of the pump-piston to the other without being compressed or drawn into the explosion-chamber 15. As the machine gets below its normal speed the pin 43 is drawn back by the governor, so that the suction-valve 11 can close, and the compression and explosion can take place again. But the hand-lever may be used to press and lock the stem of the valve, as heretofore explained.

The working-cylinder 18 is closed at the front end, and connected with the valve-chamber 54 at that front end, so that by the backstroke of the piston fresh air is sucked in through valve 56 into the front part of the cylinders, and again driven out by the forward stroke through the valve 57 and exhaust-pipe 58. In this way the cylinder is better cooled,

and the gas that may get out by possible leakage of the piston is carried out with it through the exhaust-pipe, so that no inconvenience is caused thereby.

Fig. 5 shows the igniting-valve in a position just previous to firing the charge. Through the port 39 pass the compressed gas and air for the firing-jets, which may be taken by the pipe 62 from the valve-chamber 12, or from any other part of the engine in which there is compressed gas and air. The compressed gas and air which goes through the port 39 is forced out of the fine holes in pipe 40 into the chamber 35 and again drawn out through port 43. In this way a partial vacuum is formed by the side of the small pipe 40, by which the outside flame, 37, is sucked ito the valve-chamber 35, whereby the inside burner (which may be a Bunsen or its equivalent) is ignited. As the pistonvalve moves forward, port 36 is closed first, and then the port 43 is closed; but asthe fine groove 44 communicates with the air, a part of the burned gas can flow out and the ignitingflame inside he kept burning. The opening 36 passes over port 16, so that ignition from the valve'takes place in the explosion-chamber, after which port 63 is opened to port 20, and the exploded mixture is forced through ports 16, 36, 63, and 20 into the working-cylinder 18.

piston will move it.

After the piston of the working-cylinder has arrived at end of stroke the valve moves back and ports 16 and 20 are closed, and the igniting-valve takes again its first position.

The gas-pressure regulator or reducer 2 consists of a case, 64, which is closed at the bottom with a rubber bag, 65. This rubber bag is connected by rod 66 with the lever 67 of the valve 68 of the gas-supply pipe. When the pressure of the gas in the regulator is equal to the pressure of the atmosphere the valve 68 is automatically closed by the weight of thelever 67 and rod 66. If by pipe 3, through the suction of the engine, gas is taken out, the rubber bag is drawn in by a partial vacuum, and with it is moved rod 66 and lever 67, so that the gas-inlet valve 68 is opened and so held until the pressure inside becomes equal to the atmosphere.

The small compression-pump 59 and the arrangements on the igniting-valve, so that the eccentric-rod 31 can be taken oft'of its lever 29,

' are forthe purpose of starting the engine without first turning the fly-wheel. The engine is put in a position by which a pressure on the Then gas and air are compressed. by the hand-pump 59 into the explosion-chamber 15. The valve 17 is released from the eccentric-rod 31 and worked so that it will ignite-the charge in the explosion-chamber 15 and make connection with it and the working-cylinder 18, so that the pressure of the exploded mixture starts the engine. Of

course, after this the valve is connected again with the eccentric-rod.

Manifestl y the above-described arrangement will not be placed onsmall engines that can be readily started by turningthe fly-wheel.

In the working of the above-described engine the burned gases may be conducted out of the .room in which the engineis placed, and

no annoyance to the workmen can arise therefrom. 7

As the engine is governed in speed by auto- 1naticall-yshuttingoft' the flow of mixed gas and air to the exploding-chamber, and thus sus- I pending the action of the compressing-cylin- 3. In a gas'engine, an igniting-valve having port connection with mixed gas and air under pressure, whereby saidmixcd gas and air enter the valve as ajet, a Bunsen or equivalent pressure burner, having also port connection wire 42, and suitable gas and with the interior of the. valve, an explosionchamber, and port connections between said chamber and the interiorof the valve, and suita ble exhausts for carrying away the burned gases. 1

4. In combination with a gas-engine, a pressure-regulator in the line of the supply disconnected from the moving parts of the engine and adapted automatically to open the supplyvalve when the pressure within, by suction of the engine,is reduced below atmosphericpressure, and to partially or wholly close the supplyvalve when the pressure of the gas is greater than that of the atmosphere.

5. In a gas-engine, an igniting-valve detachably connected with the moving parts of the engine, and a hand-pump connected with the mixed gas and air supply and with the valve, whereby the engine may bestarted without moving the main compression-pump, substantially as set forth.

6. In a gas-en gine, a working-cylinder closed on the front end, connected with a valve-chamber having a supply and exhaust valve to receive and exhaust air, as set forth.

7. In a gas-engine, a gas-mixing valve, a catch, and regulating devices, whereby the action can be regulated from the outside, as de scribed.

8. In a gas-engine,a compression-pump adapted to draw mixed gas and air on one side of the piston, and pipe and valve connections wherebyit is driven to the other side, where it is compressed, as described.

9. A gas-engine,with an igniting-valve which i has an inlet-port for the outside burner and an exhaust-port for the burned gas of the inside burner, by which the outside burner is sucked in to ignite the inside burner, caused by a partial vacuum being formed by the compressed gas flowing out of the inside burner.

10. In an igniting-valve of substantially the construction described, a fine groove in the valve, and an air-port, whereby some of the burned gas of the inside burneris let out after the valve is shut oft from the outside, and the flame of the inside burner maintained.

11. In a gas-engine, a compression-pump connected with the engine and operated thereby, a valve and connection with the governor, whereby the action of the said pump is suspended, as set forth.

12. In an igniting-valve, a pipe having communication with a gas-supply under pressure, in combination with a bundle of wires placed in said pipe, substantially as described.

13. The combination, in an igniting-valve, of the pipe 40, perforated plate 41, bundle of port connections, substantially as described. 1

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HERMANN WIEDLING. [L. s. Witnesses:

M. H. PLUNKE'r'r, RALPH BAUMHAUER. 

